KING COUNTRY ROADS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 339, 22 November 1907, Page 2

KING COUNTRY ROADS.

f (to the editor ) Sir, -1 road with pleasure the resolution passed by the Kawhia, C-iunty Oyuneil re King Country toads asking that an enquiry cboulu bj held. I also note that Or J nathan. suggested that the Waitomo Cimnty Council be asked to co-jperite and that Or B ibbage stated ‘‘-bat the Waitomo peaple were quite sathfixl ” NW, I wonder what foundai.ion Or B ibbage hid miking such a statement, he evidently does not know tbo W <ilam » C'ninry, or the opinions of the conn eillijr?, or he syould not have bean ginry of making such a statement. I have been a member of th? Waiu”ino County Cbincil eiuue its formation, abd I feel sure that hod Or Junata iu’s snagestion b.:eu cirrijd 006 tbo W.»i tomo County Council would have baeo only 100 plaised to have given the proposal all the asdstaoca in its power, as the same unsatisfac'n-y state of affairs exists in that County, us in the Kawhia and Awakino C .undes. I have been over the tLie r-.ad.-i and tracks in three counties and fiud that the description given by your various correspondents, of certain roads u not in the least exaggerated, but that these roads are no worse than many others that have not. boon mentioned, therefore a return showing .the amount of money v->ted f r each road, the amount authorised, the amount expeudv-d on road format ion f and the exact amount paid for supervision oat of each vote, would ba very interouting reading, if the Department could supply it. and wonld no doubt satisfy settlers that they (the Department) were doing good work for the money, and would lift Mr Bard from his unpleasant position. The enclosed correspondence will show the position the District Roads Engineer is placed in, and also show what faith the Department has in him, when two Maoris are allowed to block the bridging of a river when the Engineer in charge has given orders to start the work. The bridge m question wou’d give access to a number of set tie is who have been on (heir holdings far seven years without a road. Since writing to the Minister for Pablic Works re bridge the material he’been carried away by the recant floods.— Years efe. s A. C. M’CARDLE

[COPY.] “To the Minister for Public Works. Bir, —:l have just had an interview with Mr T. Burd, District Roads Eugineer, re tba coaatruction of a tratfiebridge over the W-itimo Creek, on t-ha W<dtomb-Tatau Tuum r< .d. Mr Bard informs me that he cannot have the bridge areoted until he receives authority from the Engineer in Chief, owing to some dispute with the natives over the bridge site. Now, air, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the timber for the said bridge has been on the site for some considerable time and that ib cannot make any difference to the natives which site is decided upon ; but to the settlers on the Tumu Turau and Wait imo Va”oy roada it is a matter of urgent necessity, so as to enable us to get our wool out this shearing and save the enormous expense of continuous packing. Further, the erection of the bridge would give us the use of a mile of road that is now useless, and would also enable tourists to drive right the Ruakuri Caves instead of havingto walk two and ahalf miles. 1 respectfully request the matter receives your immediate attention.— Yours, etc., A. C. M’OXrdde, Councillor for Waitomo Riding WiC.C»” [CWY.J Sib, — “J have the honour by direction of the Hou Acting Minister for Public works to acknowledge the receipt through Mr Greenslade, M.H.R. of your letter of 9th, Instant in which you urge the early erection of the above bridge. I am instructed to say in reply that the necessity for cue bridge is fully recognised, as witness the materials having been obtained, but unfortunately the Maori owners of the land objected to a deviation of the road at the bridge site, to settle whi h a promise has bean given them that I personally meet them to ar<*auge matters and this will be done as soon as possible,—Yours, etc., C, W. Hursthousb, Engineer.”

(tQ .THE EDITOR.) Sir, —I enclose to you for publication, if you will be so good, a copy of sableader io the Evening Post* of the sth inst, on a letter receiyed from Mr Mr H- H. Babbage, Awaroa. I believe, sir, that we will commit a great error if wa allow the matter to drop, now that wo are ?n the point of aroaeiug public opinion of the terrible injustice and hardships the unforlunate pioneer in the bash has had to put ap wi«h for years, and will still have to bo»r uu leas be opens his mouth and cries aloud and keeps on crying until he gets re dress. And in no part of the Dominion does such a disgraceful state prevail as in the King Cciuulry. Sir, I would like to call attention to the statement made by Mr HuralhouHo to a “Post” representative ss pabTshed on the 23ndalt; “He is rightenough” said Mr Harsthouse, referring to Mr Bard. “He was there before Mr Gregg. We might perhaps have a DJan but-ter for the bush bat weoaatget them. His a most sympathetic man. Re would do anything for anybody ” Of bis sympathy I have nothing to say, ba! I ask you, sir, if all the sympathy po sessed in New were contered in the heart or head or tongue of Mr Burd would h compensate in the minutest degree for lack of ability. Undoubtedly ho was bon before I was

bat is that to oe tuKeu a« a certincate of h»» ability. As an example of his sympathy I will quote a short extract from his letter to me dated from Te Kui i, 7»h August, 1907. It wan in reply to one of min* l asking th it some-thiq'lf-bedone (o about three ch-iine of sw impon the Kiritehere road, which would have given as th* n e -<f half nmile of format ion which ha- fax n lying useless for the past 18 mon'hs n*>d likely under present management to lie useless to .all eternity. Isugg-sted to him that if we could only place him in a settler’s stead fur twelve months it m : ght be the means of c-n-iug him .tn nxDcdiatp his work. “Fr. m the tone of your letter of the 15 h. alt., o-e would imagine that I never had tn tr ivi I over anv bad tranks, whereaa as a m»tter of fact I suopose where yon hive to travel one mile I have al least 50 miles or more to do If y.m only knew how I battle and fry hy e e-y m>ins in my power to get money to complete those tracks you would not write in tho strain you adnot. It w a~ much to my interest as yours to wet them done as soon as poB-»ible, but I cannot do t.hsm without funds and I C'.nnot snpp'y those funds myself.” I replied that if be travelled over tracks through the other parts uf his district at. the rate he travelled over them m ihe Kiritehere di triet he might more truthfully reverse the statement. Sir, be his bean here twice this winter pi.'i'—ibou? two months ago begot ns far os ths Wai paua rock* aud then turned back ; '-ho mill hunch was going up to the bridge site and the opportiioi’y was not lobs neglected. The last time he got ar hr my place on the Whakahao, and thoagh he had all day owing to the tid-* ho had not thec >urage to face 'he Kiri’ehere Valley.—Yours, etc., R. GREGG. [Tue article referred to by Mr Gregg was published in our last issue.]